ATLANTA -

Only a little more than half of consumers who were made aware of a recall took their vehicle in for the necessary repairs.

That 56 percent of consumers, to be exact, is a reflection of Autotrader’s recent research announced by the company, which shows a mixed view of recalls from consumers.

Of the same group surveyed, 61 percent of the customers said they make an effort to stay informed about recalls on the vehicles they already own. In addition, only 35 percent said they research recalls on vehicles they’re shopping for.

“The huge number of high-profile recalls recently makes it even more imperative for automakers to get consumers to come into dealerships for repairs and for consumers to proactively check to see if their cars are recalled,” said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Autotrader. “The record-setting recall of vehicles equipped with potentially flawed Takata airbags could ultimately result in new approaches by the government and manufacturers on how recalls are addressed.”

This situation of the perceived ambivalence of consumers toward the recalls of vehicles they already own could be seen as an opportunity for dealers to reconnect with their customers who they are aware was sold a vehicle in the past with a current open recall.

It could also be seen as an opportunity to show your establishment’s proactivity by disclosing and repairing a previous recall for a vehicle prior to its sale to reaffirm for your customers that you’re in their corner and encourage future visits to your service bays.

The above study was conducted via a survey of just over 1,000 visitors to Autotrader’s website as part of a larger survey on shopper’s attitudes and opinions on a variety of automotive-related topics.